This 65-foot tower built for MIT’s Centennial celebration, is an on-going research project exploring large-scale active woven structures. The tower is constructed from 36 fiberglass tubes in the form of a biaxial weave to create a textile-like surface. The tower will be load tested to analyze the dynamics of the structure and its full performance, pointing towards a future of active architecture. This project demonstrates great potential for architectural facades, stadium roofs, canopies, display surfaces or other large-scale structures that could smoothly morph from one form and function into another.

The Traxon and e:cue team installed six (6) Washer Allegro fixtures to uplight the silhouette of the tower. As the Biaxial Tower continually rotates, the installation needed to offer the flexibility to move with the structure, in addition to withstanding the outdoor elements. As a result, the fixtures were mounted on an aluminum ring truss located 16 feet above the ground. Controlled by an e:cue Butler XT2 control engine with an Action Pad mobile application, this campus centerpiece is clearly visible to visitors, both day and night.